Chapter Twenty-Seven
The storm had bypassed the coast, staying out over the water, and the week had been long, a humid blend of hot mornings and overcast afternoons. As Thursday drew to a close, the city began to breathe a little lighter in the lessening heat. But the evening was already wearing thin as Alfred leaned against a palm tree outside of Big Red, a monumental structure of red stone where the medical lectures were held. Dozens of men poured down the stone staircase and spread across the manicured lawn, leaving the day’s lecture behind. He watched the crowd, Mathias leaning on the other side of the palm tree, until a familiar face appeared on the stairs. They pushed themselves off the trunk without a word and blended into the crowd as they began following the man across campus.
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